Manfred Reid, Sr. | Celebrating revitalization of Sheppard Square

Manfred Reid Sr.

Anyone can appreciate that it takes a team effort to pull together a $142 mil­lion, 454-unit community revitalization effort. The Louisville Metro Housing Authority assembled such a team of local talent to create a successful HOPE VI grant application, and construction has officially begun to revitalize the Sheppard Square public housing development into a mixed-income community of which we can all be proud.

We would not have reached this day, however, without the strong encouragement of U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth. In the summer of 2009, Mr. Yarmuth approached the housing authority's executive director and impressed upon him the importance of this revitalization to the Smoketown neighborhood but also to our community as a whole. And, for nearly two years, the congressman repeatedly made it known to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its secretary, Shaun Donovan, that Louisville was ready and able to implement another successful HOPE VI revitalization.

Mr. Yarmuth's persistence paid off for Louisville and late last spring, Secretary Donovan came to Louisville to personally announce that Louisville would receive a $20 million HOPE VI grant to revitalize the severely distressed Sheppard Square public housing project. The help and assistance of former Mayor Jerry Abramson, current Mayor Greg Fischer, the Commonwealth of Kentucky through Kentucky Housing Corp., and the extraordinary support of the local HUD field office were also instrumental in the receipt of this award.

The HOPE VI award will be leveraged with an additional $122 million in public and private funds to develop more than 450 homes for local families, making a public-private partnership that will benefit the entire community. This includes a commitment of one-for-one replacement of each of the 326 units formerly on the Sheppard Square site. These hard units will be either on the revitalized site, off-site within a 1.5-mile radius of the site, or at scattered locations throughout Louisville neighborhoods ensuring that poverty is not concentrated.

Mr. Yarmuth also deeply cares about the current residents of Sheppard Square. These residents received intensive case management through our Community and Supportive Services commitment, which is still available, even after the completion of the relocation process. If a resident desires to return to the revitalized site, the case manager will work diligently with that resident to achieve that goal.

Out of adversity comes opportunity, and a new Sheppard Square will become home and playground to children and seniors, to families and professionals, to people of all colors and all socioeconomic backgrounds. This is the true meaning of community, and, on behalf of the housing authority Board of Commissioners, we would like to say a hearty thank you to John Yarmuth for taking the lead and we look forward to continuing to work with him as we implement this revitalization.

MANFRED REID SR.

Chairman, Louisville Metro

Housing Authority board

Louisville 40203

Louisville, Kentucky • Southern Indiana

ADVERTISEMENT

Most Popular

Most Commented

More Headlines

Most Viewed

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Manfred Reid, Sr. | Celebrating revitalization of Sheppard Square

Anyone can appreciate that it takes a team effort to pull together a $142 mil­lion, 454-unit community revitalization effort. The Louisville Metro Housing Authority assembled such a team of local